1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an attachment for a sugar cane harvester which gathers, removes and shreds the immature, non-millable top portions of sugar cane stalks thereby providing a more efficient harvesting operation with the attachment including scroll-type gatherers which will more effectively gather and lift the upper end portions of the sugar cane stalks and the associated leaves so that the sugar cane harvester can handle sugar cane varieties which are more brittle with less breakage of brittle stalks and the cutting and shredding is effectively accomplished by a rotating knife assembly having a plurality of radially projecting knives and a plurality of longitudinal tangential knives oriented on a generally circular bottom plate and cruciform top member rotating about an axis inclined forwardly and upwardly to more effectively cut and shred the non-millable top portions of the sugar cane stalks with the shredded portions being discharged back onto the ground surface or collected if desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sugar cane harvesters have been in use for many years and basically include a device for gathering the sugar cane stalks and severing the stalks adjacent to ground level with the cut stalks dropped onto the ground for loading onto a vehicle for transport to a sugar cane mill. The sugar cane stalk includes a mature millable portion constituting the major portion of its length with the sugar cane also including an immature upper portion which is not millable and is normally discarded and normally severed from the lower portion of the sugar cane stalk and deposited in the field. Sugar cane harvesters have been provided with topping devices which usually include a frame with gathering chains having fingers projecting therefrom and a rotating knife or blade assembly rotatable about a vertical axis which severs the immature non-millable top portion from the remainder of the sugar cane stalk with the severed top being dropped onto the ground. The severed sugar cane tops ultimately decompose but provide a winter habitat for sugar cane borers and other harmful insects, diseases and the like.
The following U.S. patents are exemplary of the prior art in this field of endeavor:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,462,927, Aug. 26, 1969; 3,561,197, Feb. 9, 1971; 3,705,481, Dec. 12, 1972; 3,772,864, Nov. 20, 1973; 3,791,114, Feb. 12, 1974; 3,925,696, Dec. 16, 1975; 3,934,391, Jan. 27, 1976; 3,942,307, Mar. 9, 1976.